NIKE SPORTSWEAR

AIR REJUVEN8
Designed with a surprising focus on comfort, Nike has launched the Air Rejuven8, a radical new series of shoes that ‘rejuvenate’ the foot during an athlete’s day off. As Bill Bowerman said “A hard day of training should be followed by a day of easy training.”

INSPIRATION
At a Thanksgiving dinner in 1999, a NIKE staffer’s young son took the protective fruit-net off an Asian pear and placed it around his bare foot. It was a playful gesture that immediately sparked the imagination, spawning the first prototype which was built from the very same netting and hot-glued to a last. What intrigued designers was the way the material worked in harmony with the foot’s shape, as well as its bold, graphic nature. At the time, the technology required was too complex and the prototypes ended up at the bottom of a drawer for nearly five years, out of sight, but not out of mind. Until now.

The key Air Rejuven8 innovation is its injection-molded exterior cage. Made from one shot of TPU polymer, the network of diamond-shaped “struts” is engineered to wrap around the foot. The spacing, orientation and thickness of each strut adds support and flex, only where it is needed, allowing the use of less material in the upper. The diamond shaped geometry gives the structure its minimal, yet highly functional quality, and the entire network conforms dynamically to the changing shape of the foot in motion and at rest. The openness allows for airflow, breathability and the movement of moisture away from skin needed in comfort footwear.

With help from the Innovation Kitchen team and the experience of designers like Bob Mervar, who designed the Presto; Tinker Hatfield, creator of the Air Huarache; Sean McDowell, who brought the Air Kukini and Bruce Kilgore who invented the Sock Racer, Nike designer Pam Greene pushed the concept to the next level of aesthetic functionality. The Zvezdockha, Nike’s innovation project with designer Marc Newson, introduced the idea of modularity to the NIKE family, and the Air Rejuven8 makes it accessible from a consumer and athletic standpoint. Like the Air Moc, this one is perfect for wearing on the couch!